I Don't Claim To Be Better
by Thayne M
Summary: After Lorelai and Rory arrive in Stars Hollow. Lots of family dynamics btwn Gilmore & Danes families. LL, eventually. RR!
1. The New Arrivals & the Auctioneer

_Again, guilty pleasure turns into inspiration. I was listening to "Ben Franklin's Kite," by Something Corporate, and got to thinking about Gilmore Girls and how the song could fit into the series. So here's a summary for ya..._

Lorelai moves to Stars Hallow with one-year-old Rory and one of the first people she meets is William Danes, whom she immediately develops a father-daughter bond with. Shortly after, however, William is admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with cancer. How will William's family, Lorelai, and Rory handle the situation?

_Okay, so let's see if I can make it as good as it sounds!_

**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own "Gilmore Girls," or Something Corporate. I **__**do**__** own a stuffed teddy-bear named William, if that makes any difference.**_

** -- -- **

She stepped off of the bus and squinted as the harsh April sun cut across her eyelids. At the bus station, she'd all but closed her eyes and pointed to choose a destination, and this is where it had led her. She looked at the sign by the bus stop: **Stars Hollow, Founded in 1779. Population 9,333**. She'd never fancied herself for a small-town girl, but maybe it was exactly what she needed. This thought was interrupted when the bundle in her arms began to squirm and she the bundle a little closer, whispering sweet-nothings of comfort. This was 17-year-old Lorelai Gilmore, and her year-old daughter, Rory.

Lorelai turned her attention back to the bus driver, who was handing her the two large duffle bags she'd packed. She smiled and thanked him as he got back in the bus and drove off. Struggling to hold Rory in one arm and pick up the two equally heavy bags in the other, Lorelai twisted and grunted, wondering how she'd ever made it to the bus stop in Hartford like this. It seemed almost impossible now.

"Excuse me," a voice behind her said. She turned quickly and found an older man standing there, a grin of amusement across his face. "Do you need some help?"

Lorelai, who had never been one to accept help from anyone because, where she came from, they always expected something in return, shook her head, "No, I've got it." She managed to loop one bag over her shoulder, careful not to squish the diaper bag that already hung there. The weight of it pulled her to the side and she always toppled to the grond, were it not for the man's strong arm reaching out to quickly steady her. He gave her a knowing look and picked up the second bag before taking the first from her shoulder, holding them easily. Lorelai sighed, defeated, and mumbled, "Thank you."

He nodded, "If even the possibility that one could help another, one should always attempt to do so," he said in a philosophical voice. "That's what I've always said." He gave her a warm smile that made his ocean-blue eyes twinkle with kindness, "So, where are you headed?"

"Um, I'm not--" Rory began to cry then and Lorelai held her to her shoulder, patting her back soothingly. Then, to the man, she confessed, "I'm not really sure. I sort of came here on a whim, and..." her voice trailed off, unwilling to get into the whole thing right there.

But the man seemed to catch on quick. Instead of peppering her with default-runaway questions, he asked, "What's your name?"

"Lorelai...Gilmore."

"And your baby's?"

Lorelai's eyes widened slightly. Everyone always assumed that Rory was her little sister, or her niece or cousin, but no one ever seemed to immediately assume that she was her daughter. "Lorelai Gilmore, technically. But I call her Rory."

The man put both of the bags over either shoulder and reached out to run two fingers over the baby's dark hair, "Please to meet you, Lorelai and Rory. My name is William Danes." He shook Lorelai's hand before asking, "How old are you, Lorelai?"

She frowned and fessed up, "Seventeen," she mumbled, her eyes locked on her daughter's face.

She was so sure that William was going to begin interrogating her, or drag her to the police station to call her parents, or at least give her a very long lecture, but he did none of these things. Instead, he said, "If you'd like, I can take you to meet my good friend Mia. She owns the local Inn, and she's always looking for help around the place. She'll probably give you a job, if you need it."

Lorelai's eyes snapped to him, wide and confused. Why would any stranger be so kind to a teenage-runaway-mother? Or to anyone, for that matter. It didn't make sense. But she'd take it. With a small, cautious grin, she nodded, "That would be great. Thank you very much." Letting him lead the way, they started the walk to the Independence Inn, making light conversation, mostly about Rory. William didn't ask her where she was from, or why she ran away; he just kept smiling kindly from the eyes and telling her all the great things about the town, and how she'd enjoy it here so much.

When they finally reached the Independence Inn, William put Lorelai's duffle bags by the inside of the front door and walked up to the counter, the teenager walking behind him. He smiled and reached across to hug a woman about his age, "Mia, good to see you."

"And you, William," the woman had a slight natural waver to her voice, but a level of kindness in her tone that Lorelai had scarce ever heard. "Did we have a lunch date today? Please tell me we didn't; that would mean I'm getting old and forgetting things."

William laughed at this, "No, no, Mia. This is a surprise visit. There's someone I'd like you to meet." He gestured for Lorelai to stand beside him, and she complied. When she did, he nodded to her, "This is Lorelai Gilmore. She needs a job and I remembered that, last week, you mentioned being short on maids." He gestured to Lorelai to fill in the rest of the statement.

Mia looked the young girl up and down before her eyes fell briefly on Rory, then returned to Lorelai's face, "Do you have any work experience, Lorelai?"

Lorelai bit her lip and shook her head, "No, ma'am."

"Anywhere to stay?"

"No, ma'am."

"You're a _run_away, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Mia's eyes found her friends and she sighed, shaking her head, "William, I don't know if I--"

"Please, ma'am," Lorelai interjected, a determined look on her face. "I don't want any handouts, but I do need this job. And no, I can honestly say that I've never worked a day in my life, but I'm a fast learner, and I've spent more time around maids than anyone, so I know everything they do. I know that it won't be easy work, and I know that its a huge risk for you to employ a runaway, but I'll be a _damn_ good worker and I can't leave without a job."

Mia studied her for a moment, thinking, with an impressed look on her face. "All right," she said slowly, "We'll do a trial run. You will work here for two weeks, and you're right, it won't be easy. You'll get all of the dirty work that no one else wants. You will stay on the premises and I will keep a close eye on you. You will work without pay for those two weeks. After that, if I'm impressed with your work, I will hire you, begin your pay, and allow you to continue living here."

Lorelai's chin trembled slightly, overwhelmed with relief, and she cracked a very small grin, "Thank you very much."

"Don't thank me yet," Mia said, but with a smile on her face. Then to William, "Could you take her out to the old potting shed?" William nodded and gathered Lorelai's things, waving for her to follow him.

When she caught up, she frowned, "Potting shed? She's going to make me sleep in the shed?"

William laughed at this, "Its not so much a shed anymore. It was, but a few years ago, when Mia's husband got sick, we turned it into a makeshift house so that he could go out there and rest when he was feeling weak at work. After he died, she never changed it back into a shed, so its still like an apartment."

"But, wait," Lorelai's eyebrows went up, "Won't that be hard for her? Having a stranger stay where her husband spent so much time?"

"Actually," William led her across the lawn to the small shed and pushed the door open, "He never spent a lot of time out here. He usually just fell asleep on the couch in the lobby." It wasn't much; a single bed, a tub and toilet, and a few shelves all crammed together in two rooms, but Lorelai was oddly pleased with it. She was going to be living on her own, now. She was starting her life. William looked down at Rory, "Oh, she doesn't have anyplace to sleep." He dropped the bags by the bed and tapped his chin in thought, "Oh, you know what?" He took a business card out of his pocket and handed it to her, "That's my shop. Come by later today, once you're all settled. I have some of my kids' old stuff that you can have."

Lorelai shook her head, "You really don't have to do all of this, sir. You've already don--"

He shook his head, "Its not a problem. Just come by anytime today. Now, I have to get back to work; don't forget to check back in with Mia." Then he was gone, across the lawn and back through the Inn.

Lorelai sat down on the edge of the bed and fished a bottle out of Rory's diaper bag and began feeding her, deep in thought as she did so. She had a place to stay, a job, a little bit of money, and two people already looking out for her. She could have never imagined, when she left Richard and Emily's house the night before, that she would have a life so fast. She could have never dreamed she'd be _somebody_ when she arrived wherever she was going, but she was. This was her life. Hers and Rory's.

About an hour later, after she'd showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, Lorelai put Rory in a dress that Emily had bought her for her first birthday and began the walk to where the business card said William's Hardware was located. It was very easy to find, right by the town square, and Lorelai entered slowly. She looked up to the counter and found a young man, maybe a little older than her, standing behind the cash register, counting reciepts. He looked up when he heard her enter, his eyes a bright blue like William's, but not nearly as warm and inviting.

Watching her stand there for a moment, the guy finally said, "Are you lost or something?"

"Um," she said, shifting Rory from one arm to the other, "Is William here?"

He popped an eyebrow at her, "Yeah," he said slowly. Then, over his shoulder, he called out, "Dad, someone's here to see you!"

William appeared almost immediately and smiled when he saw the girl, "Lorelai, hello. I'm just getting the last of it into the truck, so could you wait for a few minutes?" She nodded and he disappeared almost as quickly as he'd appeared, leaving his son and Lorelai to stare at each other in an awkward silence.

"So," she said slowly, "You're William's kid, huh?"

"One of 'em," he shrugged, going back to the reciepts. "What's my dad loading into the truck for you?"

She mocked his shrug, "All your stuff."

He looked up quickly, "What?"

Lorelai smirked and walked closer. She lifted Rory up so her two feet rested on the counter and she was facing the guy, "Say 'thank you,' sweetie."

Rory stuck two fingers in her mouth and gurgled, "Afvruuh-gah." Then she fell back onto her butt on the counter and giggled at the action, turning her head up to look at her mother, who smiled and kissed her nose. Rory smiled and turned her attention back to the young man, reaching for the paper in his hands.

"No, no, babe," Lorelai insisted, pulling her daughter's arms back. Rory pouted and began whimpering in protest, still trying to reach out.

The guy sighed and leaned over to retrieve something from under the counter. He handed handtowel to the little girl and she took it happily, twisting it, tossing it, and shoving it into her mouth. At Lorelai's concerned expression, William's son told her, "Its clean; don't worry."

She nodded to him, "How'd you know she'd like that?"

"The towel?" She nodded and he shrugged casually, eyes still on the paper in his hands, focused, "I have a nephew around her age."

Lorelai opened her mouth to inquire further, but William entered just then, a small frown on his face. "Lucas," the son turned to face him, "Barry Crishmarr is here."

His frown matched his father's, "But the meeting isn't supposed to be until tomorrow."

"Apparently, something came up, and he has to do it today. I'm going to be to up my ass in paperwork for the next three hours." He frowned apologetically, both for the cursing and what he was to say next, "I won't be able to drive all the stuff to the Inn. Lucas, could you?"

"Could I what?"

William tossed his son the keys, "Drive the truck to the Inn and unload."

"Unload what? Dad!" But his father had already rounded the corner again. The guy looked at Lorelai and sighed, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Lorelai," she told him promptly, then, pointing to her daughter, "Rory."

He pointed to himself, "Luke. Let's go; I have other things to do today." He walked out the front door and went around the building to where the old green truck was parked, the bed full of old baby things.

Lorelai followed, "Yes, I could tell by all that stimulating reciept counting. What was next on the agenda? Hit the turtle races? Watch the grass grow?"

He rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Just get in." She opened the door to the passenger side and slid in, placing her daughter on her lap and holding her close. It was illegal, she knew, but she figured the chances of finding a carseat in this crapbucket of a car were slim to none. Luke drove them in silence until they reached the front of the Inn and Lorelai shook her head.

"I'm in the potting shed." He sighed, as if it were a huge inconvenience, and circled the Inn until he was closer to their destination. He turned the truck off and got out, going to unlatch the bed door while Lorelai scrambled to open the shed door with the key Mia had given her before she left. The first thing Luke brought in was a high-chair, hinting for Lorelai to put her daughter down and come help unload. She complied, figuring she had to get used to doing work, and went out to help him carry in the cradle William had supplied her with. It was beautiful, handcarved, stained dark, with the word ELIZABETH carved in fancy script on the side.

"Say," Lorelai grunted as they set the crib in the corner, by the bed, "Whose Elizabeth?"

"My sister," Luke said, walking back to the truck with the girl in tow. He didn't go into any details and Lorelai was beginning to sense a pattern. They unloaded the rest of the furnature--a bouncer, a small changing table, a box of chew-rings and other toys--before they were finally done and putting the final touches on the way everything was arranged.

Once they were done, Lorelai gave Luke a small smile, "So, thank you."

He only grunted in response, hands in his pocket, shrugging.

"And tell your dad I said thanks."

"M-hm."

She stared at him for a second before forcing a chuckle, "I'd offer you an iced tea or something, but...I got nothin'."

Another grunt.

Finally, Lorelai rolled her eyes, "Oh, my god, are you mute?"

He looked up, then grumbled, "Nope."

"Does it hurt your throat when you talk? Like some searing, burning, piercing pain that hurts so bad you have to limit your speech?"

He scowled at her, "We done here? Good," he said, without waiting for her reply. He turned and started to walk back to his father's truck.

"You'd kick ass as an auctioneer!" She called to him as he left, her voice thick with sarcasm. As soon as he was gone, she closed the door and began wiping the dust from all the new furniture. When she'd finished with that, she put Rory down in the crib for a nap, covering her with a large t-shirt, since she hadn't yet washed the baby-blankets William had given her. After Rory had fallen into a deep sleep, Lorelai donned her sweatpants and slipped under the covers of the small bed, deciding to take a nap before Rory woke, hungry for dinner. As she closed her eyes and thought back on her day so far, she began giggling in a borderline-fit of a way, her thoughts on Luke Danes.

_He really was _very_ good-looking_, she told herself. _If only he weren't so callous._

** -- -- **

**A/N:**

_Okay, so there's chapter one so far. What do you think of it? Please review, so that I can continue writing this piece! PRETEND YOU LOVE ME, PEOPLE!_


	2. One Jekyll, One Hyde, One JediMaster

_So, ladies and gents, time for chapter two! Let's see where it goes!_

_OH! And I got a review on the previous chapter from someone else who likes the song "Ben Franklin's Kite," and pointed out that you can't really tell why the song inspired the story. Just trust me when I say we'll get there! Thought I'd let you know the song was relevant, so you don't all think I'm coo-coo for cocoa puffs. I mean...I am...but still..._

**Disclaimer: **_**I like cheese and "Gilmore Girls." I don't own either at this time.**_

-- -- --

Lorelai watched with a smile as her daughter slobbered and giggled over one of the chew-rings William had given them. They'd been in Stars Hollow for almost a week now, and work at the Inn was going well for Lorelai. Cleaning definitely wasn't something she enjoyed, but she did it well, and did it without ever complaining, even when Mia had her doing the really disgusting stuff. She hadn't seen William or his _charming_ son since the day she retrieved the baby furniture. She kept meaning to stop by the hardware store, but her hours were long and she was always too tired afterward to go anywhere. Most of her evenings, now, were spent with her daughter until they both let exhaustion take hold. Lorelai was beginning to feel guilty, afraid that William would see her as unworthy, or like she'd used him for furniture and never intended to see him again. So as she watched her daughter toss toys about, she decided that after her shift was over, they would both go visit William.

"Lorelai," Mia called to the teenager, who was just returning from her lunch break, daughter in her arms. "Do me a favour before you go back to your work?"

Lorelai walked to the reception desk, "Of course. What is it?"

Mia gestured to the kitchen door, "Could you go tell the kitchen staff that we need to double our asparagus order and cut our sprout order in half?"

Lorelai nodded and started toward the kitchen. She adored the kitchen staff at the Independence Inn, and always looked for an excuse to visit them. Every morning, she wandered in for coffee, to give her the little jolt she needed, and David, the head chef, was the only reason she and Rory hadn't starved yet. He always fixed her two extra plates of whatever had been the breakfast, lunch, and dinner special over the day, and neither of them said a word to Mia about this. He was a very kindhearted man, much like William, but with a much shorter attention span. Today, however, as Lorelai pushed open the kitchen door, she heard him yell for the first time in the week she'd known him.

"No, no, and _no_. Get the _hell_ out of my kitchen!"

"But, David--" a young, female voice squeaked.

"OUT!"

"Would you just _listen_?!" The voice yelled back, "I only want to observe you while you're working."

David barked an angry laugh, "Last time you said that, you _observed_ me right in the head with a frying pan."

"It slipped!"

"No."

The voice became whiney and pleading, "But, David, you know how much I love to cook! I just want to watch and see if being a chef is for me." Then, hoping it would tip the scale, she added, "I _worship_ you, David Gaylord."

Lorelai heard David sigh, "Fine, but you sit in a corner and don't touch anything. I mean it this time."

"Yes, sir." Lorelai saw a shorter girl, about her own age, appear from being one of the shelving areas and perch on one of the stools by the far counter. Lorelai cocked an eyebrow and walked over to where David was standing with his eyes closed, trying to regain control over himself.

She smiled widely, "Hi, David!"

He opened his eyes and blinked rapidly, then returned the smile with a sigh of relief, "Oh, Lorelai, good; a sane person."

Lorelai smirked, "That's probably the only time anyone has ever referred to me as sane. Thank you."

He laughed, "Well, compared to today's suspects, you're the poster-child for sanity. That," he pointed to the red-headed girl, "Is Sookie St. James, the klutz of Stars Hollow, and she wants to be a chef."

"Scary."

"No, the scary part is," he shook his head and lowered his voice, "She really is a great cook, and she hasn't had _any _training."

Sookie smiled, "I heard that! And thank you!" David groaned.

"Oh," Lorelai said, remembering, "Mia sent me in to tell you to double the asparagus order and cut the sprout order in half."

He turned and wrote this down on one of the Post-Its on the counter, "'Kay." When he turned back to her, he smiled, as if noticing Rory for the first time, and gave the baby a little tap on the nose.

Lorelai nodded, "All right. I have to get back to work. I think I'm going to eat out tonight, but lunch was amazing, as usual."

"I aim to please," he told her as she walked to the door.

Before she left, she turned and gave him a cockeyed look, "You're last name is Gaylord?"

He rolled his eyes and pointed to the door, "Out!"

She giggled and left to continue her work. It always took her a little longer to do her work than the other maids, because she had yet to master the art of making a bed right the first time, or getting the entire floor spotless when she vacuumed, plus she had to watch Rory at the same time, so it was almost 7 in the evening before she got off. When she and Rory were both bathed and redressed, Lorelai loaded her daughter into a stroller Mia had given her and they began their trip to the hardware store.

--

Luke was closing up when they got there, and Lorelai rushed through the door right as he was about to lock it. She gave him a "nanner-nanner-boo-boo" grin and asked him where his dad was.

"Up in his office; I'll go get him," then Luke disappeared up the stairs. He came back down a few minutes later, his father on his heels.

When William took sight of the two girls, he smiled and walked over to them, hugging them like they were old friends he hadn't seen in years. "Well, there you are. I was beginning to wonder if you hadn't been swallowed up by the earth."

Lorelai chuckled at this, "No, no swallowing. Work is just a lot harder than I thought it would be, and I tire easily." Luke scoffed from behind the counter, but Lorelai chose the ignore it, her attention on the older man. "But I thought I'd bring Rory by, just so you knew we weren't, you know, freeloaders or anything like that."

"Just because you bring your kid by doesn't mean you aren't a freeloader," Luke mumbled under his breath.

"Lucas!" William hissed at him, a stern look in his eye. Luke only shrugged. Turning back to Lorelai, William apologized, "Don't mind him. I know you aren't freeloaders, and I'm very glad that you came by." He looked down at Rory, then back to her mother, "May I?"

"What? Oh!" Lorelai leaned down and unbuckled the belt of the strolled and picked Rory up, "Of course." She held her out to William, who took her lovingly into his arms and held her to his shoulder. Rory took to him immediately, smiling and taking a handful of his shirt to chew on. "Wow," Lorelai laughed, "You're like a grampy."

"I _am_ a grampy," William pointed out. "My grandson, Jess, is almost two now. I don't see him often," he added as a painful afterthought.

Lorelai frowned, "That's right; Luke mentioned he had a nephew. I'm sorry you don't see him often."

William just shrugged and looked down at Rory, "Hello, there. How are you?"

"Brehgroopva!"

"Ah, me too."

Lorelai smiled, then had a thought, "Would you like to watch her for a few minutes? I was going to run to the market and pick up something for dinner." When William nodded, she smiled, retrieved her wallet from the diaper bag that hung on the stroller's handle, and left. A few minutes later, the phone began to ring upstairs and William frowned, walking over to the counter.

"Lucas," William said, holding the little girl out, "It might be Barry; could you hold her until I get back?"

"What? But--" but the little girl was already in his arms. When William exited, running up the stairs, Luke looked down at the dark-haired baby in his arms, and she stared back up at him with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. "Hi," he said, unable to think of anything else.

As if it were the most entertaining word in the world, Rory threw both of her arms up and began giggling madly. Luke smiled at this and moved to hold her to his shoulder, so that he could hold her with one arm and use the other to go through reciepts. This plan, however, failed when he ended up having to use the other hand to play a game of catch with Rory's teething-ring. After a few back-and-forths, Luke laughed lightly, "You've got a good arm, there, kid." He handed the ring back to her and she tossed it again, right into his open palm. When he tried to give it back, she refused, turning her cheek and letting her head rest on his broad shoulder. Luke put the ring down on the counter and rubbed her back a few times before he heard her let out a light snore that told him she was asleep. Unsure of what to do, he perched on the stool behind the counter and turned his torso back and forth, to create a slight rocking motion.

Lorelai opened the door, clutching a Doose's market bag in one hand, and stopped at the sight of Luke rocking her sleeping daughter. She grinned, unable to stop herself from comparing her daughter to Cindy Who, melting Grinch-Luke's heart of ice.

"Hey," Luke whispered in his rough voice, "Take her?"

Lorelai shook her head, "No chance, buddy. She likes you, and I'm not about to ruin the moment. Jeez, where's a camera when you need it?"

"Just take her."

"Nope." Lorelai walked over to the counter and put the bag down, rifling through it. She pulled out a premade sandwhich, a can of soda, and a chocolate bar. She tore open the packaging on the sandwhich and took a bite, smiling at Luke when he gave her a very irritated stare. "What? Something on my face?" She asked innocently.

He rolled his eyes and continued rocking Rory, then looked over the food spread across the counter, "You really eat that junk?"

"Its good. Plus, I don't really have a choice."

"Why?"

She swallowed her bite and explained, "See, usually, David gives us leftovers to eat, but since we were out tonight, I figured we'd get something when we were out. But I don't have a ton of money, and I can't buy anything that has to be cooked, or stored. So these are the best options. Plus, did I mention how yummy it is?"

"You could have at least bought an orange or something."

"Fruit is for losers."

Luke scoffed, "Is that how they climb the social food-chain where you come from? You gain popularity by the amount of scurvy you've managed?"

Lorelai sighed, annoyed, "You know, you've got that whole 'judgemental' thing down good."

"I'm not judgemental," he informed her.

"So you're just a prick for no reason?"

"You're a Jedi Master of 'judgemental,' too," his voice was louder now, and startled Rory awake. She began whimpering, close to crying, so Luke resumed rocking her and lowering his voice, "Shh, shh, its okay," his hand came up to rub her back, "To back to sleep." She fell silent and her head crashed against his shoulder again.

Lorelai's eyes were wide, "You are right out of a Robert Louis Stevenson novel, aren't you?"

His eyes shot up, surprised, "You know who Robert Louis Stevenson is?"

Then realization sunk in, and Lorelai knew in a second why Luke had been the way he was toward her, "You thought I was just some dumb bimbo who got herself knocked up and ran, didn't you? Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but I was one of the top students in my class, and I was at an advanced school."

Luke grumbled, "Don't call me 'kid.' I'm older than you."

Lorelai's hands smacked the table and, in a voice like that of a sports announcer, she said, "That's right, ladies and gentlemen, he did _not_ deny the accusation."

He rolled his eyes, "Okay, I might have thought something like that. But that's not the reason I am how I am. This is just...me."

"So, you _are_ a prick for no reason?"

"No," he shot, "I just don't like people very much. They always have these annoying bits that they can't give up. And the second you smile at someone and strike up polite conversation, they take you to be their best friend and start hanging around all the time, thinking you actually give a damn about every detail of their pathetic lives." He looked at Lorelai and she held an expression that said she'd taken the comment more personally than he'd meant her too, and he sighed, "Hey, that's not even--"

"I'd better get her back," Lorelai told him, putting her food back in the market bag. She reached across the counter and took her daughter from his arms, "Tell William I said goodbye, and that I'll be back to visit soon." She fastened her daughter into the stroller, grabbed the market bag, and went out the door, leaving Luke staring after her. Once she was gone, he sighed and mentally kicked himself for offending his father's friend. This lasted about three seconds before he hardened back up and told himself, _She's just sensitive; who cares_? and went back to closing up the store.

--

When Lorelai got home and finished eating, she opted not to wake her daughter for her meal. She'd wake up on her own if she got hungry. Lorelai slipped into her pajamas and slid under her blanket, thinking. Luke was good with Rory when he held her, and she'd never seen her daughter fall asleep in anyone else's arms but her own. He'd been very sweet and gentle with her, even as he was being harsh and rude to Lorelai. She sighed, trying to will away the thought going through her head: _He may have a Jekyll/Hyde thing going on, but my _god_, that man is gorgeous._

--

Luke said goodnight to his father and went home to his apartment, which he'd rented only two months before. It was still weird for him, being out on his own, not having to check in with anyone. He showered and changed into a pair of sweatpants and a black t-shirt before sliding between his covers and laying with his eyes opened for a long while, thinking. He hadn't meant anything by what he said to Lorelai, but he couldn't figure out why he cared so much that she'd been offended by it. Then his mind began to drift to a place he didn't want it to go to. Lorelai's sapphire eyes, the way her figure was outlined perfectly by her t-shirt and jeans, her bright smile and the way she'd put up with abrasiveness. He tore his mind from that, only to find it in another place he didn't want it to be, and he was now caught up wondering why he'd felt so comfortable holding little Rory, rocking her to sleep the way a father would. He couldn't figure out why, when he'd held the baby, he'd actually _felt_ like her _father_.

He shook his head, as if to clear it, _god, Danes, get your head on something else. Need you remind yourself, you _have_ a girlfriend_! That did the trick. His mind went to Anna and he fell asleep soon after.

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_Okay, so, good? Bad? Ugly? ...I love that movie...and the song..."Good, Bad, Ugly," by Ani DiFranco... OKAY! My attention span is back; what did you think of this chapter? Remember, as long as you read and review, I'll continue writing!_

_Oh, and for the record, I have this set up to where Luke is three years older than Lorelai, so he's 20. He's currently dating Anna Nardini [don't worry, there will be NO April drama in my story!, and he CAN cook, which we'll see later. Liz and Jess live in New York already, but they might return later; who knows? Sookie is the same age as Lorelai and attends Stars Hollow High; she'll play a bigger role later. William lives alone in his house [sadness. And...Lorelai's house has no refrigerator or stove._

_Also, I hope I didn't offend anyone with the name of Gaylord. I think its a very charming and traditionally-based name, which is to be respected. So...sorry!_


	3. Whoa, Baby! Easy on the Sauce!

_And the story continues! Yala-la-la-la! ...I just done did dat karaoke thang, and I...am...HYPED!_

**Disclaimer: **_**I may look like a Rockefeller, but I do **__**not**__** own "Gilmore Girls." Stop asking.**_

-- -- --

"Gyaah," Lorelai cursed as she pushed open the door to William's Hardware store. It was lunchtime and she was in her maid's uniforming, attempting to push Rory's stroller, put her hair up into a ponytail, and walk at the same time. William was just finishing up with a customer and smirked when he saw the young lady stumble in.

"Hello, again. I hope you got home all right last night."

She secured her hair with a rubber-band and gave him a tired smile, "Hey, hi, sorry that I didn't say goodbye last night. Its just that--"

"Lucas," William stated simply. "He chased you off. He's never been a very social boy."

Lorelai nodded and looked down at her shoes, shuffling slightly, "So, um, do you know anyone in town that might watch Rory for a few hours today? Two maids called in sick today and I'm taking on an extra shift, and I'll never get done if I have to watch her."

William twirled a pen in his fingers and then tapped it against his chin, thinking. "Mrs. Kim would probably watch her, but you'd never hear the end of it. Gypsy's working at the autoshop today, so she can't do it. Um," he frowned, straining to come up with a name. Suddently, his face brightened, "You know what? How about you have Lucas watch her? He's got the day off today, and I figure he's probably not doing anything."

"Oh, no, William," Lorelai shook her head, "Luke's already a grump to me; I don't need him to be a _justified_ grump."

William scoffed lightly, "Nonsense; Lucas is great with kids. And while I know he seems unpleasant, he really is a good person, and he'll help anyone that needs help."

She bit her lip, "Are you sure?"

He nodded and turned around to pick up the phone that hung on the wall. He punched in a number and frowned, "What kind of phone-greeting is that? What time did you get to sleep? Ah, I told you that would get you in trouble. Nice mouth. Listen, guess what you get to do on your day off? Watch Rory. What was that son? I couldn't hear you; the phone's cutting out. Bad luck. I'll send her over!" He hung up with a sneaky smile and chuckled to Lorelai, who was trying her best not to laugh. William scribbled Luke's address onto a piece of paper and handed it to her, pointing her in the right direction.

When Lorelai knocked on the apartment door, she was greated by a loud cursing and the door being swung open so forcefully that it banged against the opposite wall. He stared the girl down, "Payback?"

She matched his glare and forced the diaper bag at him, "Desperation; don't flatter yourself." She handed him the teething-ring she had looped around her wrist, "Here. My shift isn't over until ten, but she usually konks out by eight. She gets her bottle every two hours; I put her formula in there. If you have any problems, call the Inn."

He was still glaring, but when she finished speaking, he bent over and unlatched the belt of the stroller, gently lifting the baby from the seat. He held her against his shoulder and, after shooting one last silent look of disdain to Lorelai, pulled the stroller in and shut the door. Lorelai stared still, but only for a moment before she began her mad dash back to the Inn.

--

"Mia!" Lorelai stumbled down the stairs hours after dropping Rory off. "Mia, Mia, what time is it?"

Mia, who sat half-sleeping behind the check-in desk, looking at her watch and mumbled, "Quarter past."

"Past what?" The teenager demanded, slamming her hands against the desk to wake her employer up.

"Eleven. By the way, remind me to kill the night-manager for calling in sick."

"Eleven?!" Lorelai practically shrieked, "Oh, my god, he's going to _kill_ me!" She turned and made a mad dash out the door, completely disregarding the fact that she was still in her uniform, covered with various levels of grime and dust from her hours of work. She jogged the entire way to Luke's apartment complex, grateful that Stars Hollow was a "bed-by-nine" town and no one was around to see how insane she looked. She didn't stop until she was outside of Luke's door, struggling to breathe, and knocked on the door three times, weakly.

It opened slowly, revealing a tight-lipped Luke. Though he looked a little irritated, Lorelai had expected much worse. She'd expected him to scream and throw a fit and attempt to push her down stairs (which he'd conveniently have built just for the occassion, since he lived on the first level; such a handy-man). Instead, he gave her a short stare and moved to the side to let her enter.

Luke's apartment was modest, but oddly cozy. Lorelai figured it would be devoid of anything personal or, hell, even colourful, but there were numerous pictures on the walls of his father, a smiling blonde woman with a baby, and an older woman with the kindest eyes. His furniture, too, was unexpected; he had a large, plush, dark blue couch with striped pillow, and a matching armchair closeby. Lorelai took all of this in and smiled slightly, turning her eyes up to look at Luke. Then she saw the kitchen behind him.

"Oh, my..." her mouth fell open. "Oh, no, Luke! Did Rory--"

"Yeah," he said, gesturing aimlessly, "But its no big deal." Lorelai gave him a look of disbelief. Every inch of the kitchen floor was covered with food; spaghetti, spaghetti _sauce_, pieces of bread and turkey from a dismembered sandwhich, and a few cookies. His cabinets were splattered with sauce, as were his counters and the door of his refrigerator. There was no way this wasn't a big deal. Luke shrugged, "I'll clean it up later."

Lorelai frowned, "No," she said firmly. "You should _not_ have to clean this up. I'll do it for you."

He shook his head, "Nah, you don't have to. You've been working all day."

"As a _maid_," she pointed out.

"As which you have been working all _day_," he repeated, mimicking the way she stressed her last word.

She gave him a feeble smile, "And you've been stuck with a baby all day. You're twenty, it was your day off, and you could have been doing anything. You could have been out with your friends. Its really the least I could do." He looked like he was about the protest and Lorelai raised her eyebrows at him, "Are you _seriously_ going to go toe-to-toe on this with me? Mister One-Word-Sentence verses Miss I-Had-Fifteen-Cups-of-Coffee-Today?"

He raised up his hands in defeat, "Fine, fine. Go to town."

Lorelai nodded and went to the kitchen, locating his cleaning supplies beneath his sink. She started scrubbing at the floor when she realized Luke was watching her from the archway that devided kitchen and living-room. She looked up, "That's gonna irk me, you know."

"Sorry; what would you like me to do?"

She sighed and looked him over; his jeans and flannel shirt were in about the same state as his kitchen, so she suggested, "Why don't you grab a shower, Oscar?"

"Oscar?"

She gestured to him, "Looks like a garbage can threw up on you."

"Ah, you're charming."

"I try."

He looked himself over and sighed, "Okay, yeah, I guess a shower would be good. You gonna be okay on your own?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes, Luke, I promise not to steal anything." He gave her a look before disappearing down the hallway. A few minutes later, she heard water running and returned to her work, trying her hardest not to think of what was going on in the next room. A man, who'd given up his entire day to watch the child of a teenager he barely knew and was obviously annoyed by, was showering not twenty feet from her. She shook her head and scrubbed the floor harder.

Twenty minutes later, Lorelai was just finishing her cleaning when Luke reappeared, running his hands through his wet hair. Lorelai looked up briefly, then continued to sponge what looked like mustard and chocolate from the refrigerator, while staring at Luke out of the corner of her eye. In the few times she'd seen him before, he'd been wearing jeans and those oversized flannel shirts, and always wore the same black backwards baseball cap. Now, he was clad in a pair of sweatpants and a fitted black t-shirt that seemed to accentuate every muscle, and there were many. And his hair, usually hidden by the cap, was longish and a light-brown that somehow made his eyes that much brighter.

"Okay," Lorelai mumbled, clearing her throat. She dropped the sponge into the sink and turned to face him, brushing her hands together, "All done."

He looked the room over with an impressed look, "My kitchen has never been this clean before."

"Want me to clean your whole apartment?" Her voice was joking, but she probably would have followed through, had he asked.

He shook his head, "I'm good. So, um," he gestured to her as she had to him, "Looks like a _landfill_ threw up on you."

She frowned and looked at her gross clothes, then waved it off, "Eh, I'll clean up at home. Where's my baby?"

Luke waved for her to follow and led her down the hall to a decent-sized bedroom. In the middle of a queen-sized bed, on top of a faded black comforter, beneath a red and orange afghan, was Rory. She was on her stomach, her head tilted to the side, mouth opened and snoring lightly. Lorelai and Luke stood side-by-side at the edge of the bed, both staring at the cuteness of the picture.

"Thanks for watching her," Lorelai told him sincerely, "I know you didn't want to."

Luke's eyes remained on the sleeping baby as he shook his head, "I didn't mind watching her; I mind that I felt like I had no choice." He smiled as Rory wriggled and cooed in her sleep. "If you ever need me to watch her, just ask."

Lorelai tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and shrugged, "I just figured you'd, you know...shoot an anvil at my head or something."

"Why would I do that?" Lorelai just stared at him until he sighed, "I don't have anything against you. I'm just one of those people whose naturally..." he trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Mirthless?" Lorelai offered.

Luke chuckled lightly, "Mirthless; sure." He opened his mouth to say something more, but was cut off by his phone ringing. He shot Lorelai a quick apology before going to answer it. "What?" His voice softened, "Oh, hey. No, it went well, actually... Nah, I have to work; Sunday? Good... Six? ...Okay, I'll see you there." He frowned and seemed flustered, "Uh huh. Bye," then he hung up. When he turned away from the phone, he saw Lorelai had already gathered Rory's things, brought the sleeping baby into the living-room and fastened her into the stroller.

She smiled at him again--a genuine, beautiful smile--and looped the diaper bag over her shoulder. "So, thanks again. You have no idea; and I'm sorry I was late." He nodded at her and she copied the motion before leaving.

As she reached the end of the hallway, she heard a door open. "Lorelai!" She turned and saw Luke making a fast pace toward her. He stopped just inches from her and handed her a small slip of paper. "My number. If you need someone to watch her, or...anything...feel free to call."

Lorelai took the slip and stared at it, "Won't your girlfriend mind?"

"How did you kn--"

Lorelai gave him a knowing look, "The phone call. Men only use that softy voice with children, old people, sick people, or a girl they've been with longer than sixteen months."

Luke gaped at her, "I've been with her for two years. How'd you know _that_?"

She shrugged, looking up, "Its a secret. Anyway, will nameless-girlfriend mind?"

"Anna," he told her, "And no, she won't."

Lorelai nodded, though unconvinced, and slipped the paper into the diaper bag. She gave Luke a cautious grin, "So...we good?"

Luke shrugged, smirking, "We're...not _bad_."

She smiled brightly, "Good enough for me." She gave him one last nod before leaving for home. When she was gone, Luke went back inside, and every time he blinked, he saw that impossibly white smile.

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_Kinda short and uneventful, I know. I'm sorry! R&R so's that I can keep rollin' out the chapters, people!_


	4. You Can't Spell 'Bored' With CARY!

_(Sports Commentator Voice) Ladieeees and gentlemeeeen, gather 'round! Watch in amazement as Thayne Aislinn MacHern attempts to do two chapters in one sitting! On top of that, she will be attempting to do so at three o'clock in the morning... over a stinky, bubbling pot of scorching vegetable oil! (End Commentator Voice)_

**Disclaimer: **_**Okay, I confess! I don't own "Gilmore Girls." Couldja stop yelling at me now? I get that enough from the voices in my head.**_

-- -- --

"David, just try it!" Sookie insisted the next afternoon. She was chasing the chef around the kitchen with a bowl of something when Lorelai entered for coffee, having left Rory with Mia for a little while.

"I need coff--" she was stopped when David ran and crouched behind her, hands clutching her shoulders.

"That is the most adament 17-year-old I've _ever_ met," David told Lorelai, still hiding behind her.

Sookie stood in front of them, holding the bowl out, "David, please!"

He gave her an incredulous stare, "I'm a _diabetic_, Sookie; those will put in in a _coma_ or something!"

"Ooh," Lorelai chirped, "Something extra sweet? What is it, what is it?"

Sookie looked into the bowl, "Brownie-pumpkin-bites." She smiled proudly and added, "I invented them last night."

"Can I try one?" Sookie shrugged and handed her one. It was a half-dollar sized brownie cup, filled with pumpkin pie filling. Lorelai eyed it briefly before popping it into her mouth. As she chewed, her eyes grew wider and wider, "Oh, my god," she said as she swallowed, "That's delicious!"

"Really?!" Sookie squealed, "I'm so glad! But doesn't it taste like something's missing? Like," she thought, "Whipped cream?"

"Yeah. Ooh, wait, no!" Lorelai gasped, "Something vanilla-ey!"

Sookie gasped back, excited, "Vanilla pudding! That's exactly it! Who are you?"

"Um, Lorelai Gilmore?"

"_He-llo_, Lorelai Gilmore!" Sookie gave her a sudden hug and giggled, "You're a genius. Here, take these," she shoved the bowl at Lorelai and then started for the kitchen door, "I'm going to go home and make a second batch, _with_ a vanilla pudding. Bye-bye!"

Lorelai laughed at David as he slowly came out of "hiding" and poured her a cup of coffee. She downed it quickly and went to finish her shift. By six-thirty, she was done and showered, and it was painfully obvious how bored both she and Rory were. Finally, Lorelai picked up the phone Mia'd had connected for her and dialed the number from the paper in the diaper bag.

"_What_?"

"Is there anything fun _and_ cheap to do in this town?"

"_Who is this_?"

"Billy Bob Thorton."

"_Good-bye_."

"Its Lorelai Gilmore!" She said in a rush.

"_Oh_," he sounded surprised, "_Hello, Lorelai Gilmore_."

"Hello, Lucas Danes."

He grunted, "_Don't call me Lucas_."

"You dad calls you Lucas," she pointed out.

"_Did you play a significant roll in my conception_?"

She wrinkled her nose, "No...and, ew."

"_Don't call me Lucas_."

She smiled, "Okay, _Luke_; is there anything fun to do in this town?" She perched on the edge of her bed, "Where's all the local hot spots?"

He snorted, "_Do I strike you as a 'hot spots' kind of guy_?"

"Totally."

"_Thanks for noticing_," he deadpanned. "_But honestly, this is Stars Hollow; there's __nothing__ to do here_."

Lorelai groaned loudly, frustrated, "But I'm bo-o-ored."

"_Watch t.v._," he suggested.

She laughed a little, "I don't even have a 'fridge, dear. What makes you think I'd have a television?"

He was quiet for a moment, then offered, "_You could come over here. I don't have cable, but I have a lot of movies that my mom left_."

Lorelai smiled into the reciever, "Really?"

She could almost _hear_ him shrug, "_Sure; why not_?"

"Can't argue with the 'why not' logic. I'll be there soon," she hung up.

--

True to her word, Lorelai knocked on Luke's door fifteen minutes after hanging up. When the door opened, Rory's eyes lit up and she reached for Luke. "Haagroob."

Lorelai explained, "That means 'howdy.'" She leaned forward and passed her daughter on to the man, who grinned down at her.

"Howdy," he told the baby before inviting Lorelai inside. "You hungry?"

Lorelai tossed him a look over her shoulder, "You talkin' to me, or Rory?"

"Both."

"Well, I could snack." Luke nodded and gestured for her to sit on the couch, then handed Rory to her and went to the kitchen.

"You want anything to drink?" He called.

"Um," Lorelai said, tickling her daughter's nose, "Coffee?"

"I don't have coffee."

"How can you not have coffee?"

"I hate coffee. Its disgusting and it rots you from the inside out. No coffee."

Lorelai sighed, "Iced tea?"

He opened the refrigerator, "_That_ I can do." When he came back to the living room, he put a bowl of popcorn on the table and handed her a glass of iced tea before settling down on the opposite side of the couch and pulling a box around, putting it on the floor, between them. "Take your pick."

Lorelai put Rory on the cushion between them and started sorting through the movies. After a while, she smiled, "I love your mom. Such good taste in movies; where's she at?"

Luke shrugged, "She, um--she died about ten years ago."

She looked up quickly, "I'm sorry."

He waved her off, "It was a long time ago."

She stared for a few seconds longer before turning back to the movies. After some shifting around, she finally pulled back and gasped, "'Charade!'"

"'Scuse me?"

Lorelai held the movie up to his face and bounced excitedly, "'Charade.' You have 'Charade!'" Rory was infected by her mother's hyperness and started bouncing, too, clapping her hands together and giggling.

Luke popped an eyebrow, "Is that a good thing?"

Lorelai stared him down, "Have you never seen this movie?" He shook his head. "You're _kidding_ me!" She gave him a whack on the arm with the tape, "Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Its a classic! Put it in, put it in, put it in!" Luke obeyed, taking the tape and slipping it into the VCR. They both settled against the couch, Rory still between them, and started watching the movie. About an hour in, Rory had worked her way to the floor and fallen asleep, curled up into a little ball, and Lorelai's eyes were beginning to droop.

Luke took note of this and asked quietly, "Still bored?"

She shook her head, "Still not used to working. Tires me out."

He chuckled, "Hm. So where did you live before that you never had to work? I mean, most teenagers at least mow lawns or something."

Lorelai laughed, too, then sobered. "Hartford." Her head, resting on the back of the couch, turned to look at him seriously, "I'm a richie."

He matched her gaze, "A what?"

"A richie," she sighed. "I grew up in a mansion, went to private schools; my mother is part of the Daughters of the American Revolution and my father belongs to a country club. I've been to twelve different countries and I never once had to clean my own room because there was always a maid to do it for me." She blinked heavily at him, "I hadn't told anyone all that yet."

Luke turned so that he was facing her fully, "So why'd you leave?"

"Hm?"

"I mean, it sounds like the good life. Why'd you run away?"

She shrugged, "Because I didn't _want_ the good life. It made me feel like an invalid."

He nodded, "Yeah, I can see that." He shifted and turned his eyes back to the movie. After a few minutes of silence, he asked, "Why'd you tell me first?"

"Uh," she said, thinking, "I dunno. I guess I just figure, you're not gonna go spreading my business all around town, are you, _Chatty_?"

He smiled, "Nah, probably not."

She glanced at him, did a double-take, and gasped. "Luke Danes!"

He jumped, "What?"

"You smiled!"

"So?"

She grinned madly, "It was so weird. It was like seeing the Pope give someone the finger!" She began laughing.

He rolled his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the couch, "Oh, jeez."

Lorelai settled herself, "No, no, I'm sorry. Its not funny, its just..." She smiled at him and cocked her head to the side, "It looks nice on you."

There was a knock on the door then, and Luke was grateful for the excuse to get up and away from Lorelai, not wanting to have to explain why he was blushing at the comment. He opened the door and took a surprised step back, "Anna!"

"Hey!" A dark haired woman stepped forward and pressed a light kiss against Luke's lips, "Sorry to just show up, but I was on my way to work and I realized I hadn't seen you in a few days, so I figured I'd stop by." She looked over at the couch and her eyes instantly narrowed, "Hello...?"

Luke stumbled over his words, "A-Anna, this is Lorelai...Gilmore. Lorelai Gilmore. She's a friend of my dad's... She has a daughter."

"Oh," Anna nodded, eyes still on Lorelai, "The little girl you babysat last night."

"Yeah, that's her. Well, not Lorelai; her daughter. I watched her daughter, who, um," he sighed at his own moronic behaviour, "Is, coincidentally, named _Lorelai_."

Lorelai was trying her hardest to hold back laughter as she stood and went to shake Anna's hand, "Nice to meet you. I'm Lorelai and that," she pointed to her daughter, still asleep on the floor, "Is Rory. Short for," she gave Luke a humourous look, "_Lorelai_."

"Anna Nardini," Anna told her, shaking her hand. She was smiling, but still looked a little suspicious, "So what are you two up to tonight?"

Lorelai explained, "Ah, see, I don't have a t.v. at my place, and Luke here let me take his hostage. Simple as that," she smiled. "Then he told me he'd never see 'Charade,' so I had to insist he do so _immediately_, because, I mean, Cary Grant."

"Oh, yes," Anna said absently, "That Cary Grant is a must." She turned back to Luke, who'd been standing awkwardly to the side throughout this exchange, "I've got to get to work."

"Anna," he started.

She gave him a forced smile, "Sorry, but I'm going to be late as it is." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and backed through the door, "Bye."

"Bye," he nodded to her. Once she was gone, the door shut, Luke went back to the couch and settled into his previous position, eyes on the television screen.

Lorelai walked slowly to him. She sat down next to him and paused the movie, then turned to stare at him intently, tucking one leg underneath her. When he gave her a confused look, she said, "You said you've been with her for two years?"

"Yeah," he said slowly, "So?"

"Two years is a very long time to spend with someone you don't love."

His eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?" She just shrugged and he frowned, "What makes you think I don't?"

Lorelai's lips tightened as she thought of how to explain it, "Last night, when she called, she told you she loved you before she hung up, didn't she?" He nodded, and she went on, "You got all flustered and said 'uh huh.' Guys say 'uh huh' when they don't want to say 'I love you,' but care about the girl that said it to them, so they don't want to hurt her by saying they _don't_ love her. And just now," she gestured to the door, "You didn't go after her."

He narrowed his eyes, "Why would I? She was late for work."

"She was _jealous_, Luke," Lorelai informed him. "Her mind went directly from 'hey, my boyfriend's watching a '60s romance with some girl I don't know' to '_hey_...my _boyfriend_ is watching a '60s _romance_ with some _girl_ I _don't know_.' She was upset when she left, and you didn't go after her."

Luke frowned, "She's fine; Anna's really cool. She doesn't get jealous."

"If you say so."

"And _none_ of that means I don't love her."

Lorelai gave him a serious look, "Do you love her?"

He never answered.

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_(Sports Commentator Voice) And an hour and twelve minutes later, she finished, ladies and gents! And the only damage done is some major fatigue, a caffiene overdose, and her left leg deep fried in vegetable oil like Jackson Melville's Thanksgiving turkey! (End Commentator Voice)_

_Remember to R and...what's the other one? Oh yeah!... R!_


	5. Sorry for the MixUp, Monseur Cliffhanger

**Disclaimer:** _**I'm currently watching "Gilmore Girls," but that doesn't mean I own it! Pity my poor and unfortunate soul!**_

-- -- --

Lorelai had officially been working at the Inn for four weeks and three days, and was expecting her first bi-monthly paycheck at the end of her shift the next day. Ever since the day of her "real" employment, Mia had been much softer, kinder, and stopped giving her only scrub work. On top of a solid paycheck, Lorelai also found that she was developing a family within Stars Hollow. Mia, William, Sookie, David, and even Luke had all become major pieces of her life, and she found it was rare to go a day without talking to all of them. Rory had adapted to them as well, especially the Danes men.

That night, after finishing her shift, Lorelai put Rory down for a nap and went to take a shower. When she twisted the hot water and put her hand under the faucet, she let out a loud gasp. She twisted the water back off and ran to the phone, dialing, "C'mon, c'mon. Pick _up_."

An answering machine picked up. "_Hey, its Luke. I'm probably at work, so leave a message_." Beep.

"Gah!" She yelped into the phone, "Freezing! No, not freezing; algid! Arctic! Glacial! And me, stinky, smelly, icky." She hung up and went to collapse on the bed, covering her face with her dust-covered hands. Soon, she'd fallen asleep, only to be awaken a few hours later by her phone ringing. She jumped up to answer it, "Mm?"

"_Hey_," came Luke's voice, "_Were you sleeping_?"

"Nope," she ran her hand through her hair, "Yep."

He sighed, "_Ah, sorry about that. Its just, you left a pretty...manic message_."

Lorelai was confused, "I did? Oh, yeah, I did." She chuckled lightly, "Sorry about that, Luke. My hot water, like...died."

"_Explains the 'algid, arctic, glacial' part. What about the_--"

"Stinky, smelly, icky?" She nodded, "Well, see, no hot water means no shower for Lorelai, and no shower for Lorelai means a..." she drew out the last word, signaling for him to fill in the blanks.

"_Stinky, smelly, icky Lorelai_?"

"You genius, you."

He snorted, "_So why did you feel the need to call my machine and tell me all this_?"

"I'm _smelly_," Lorelai whined.

He sighed again, which she'd gotten used to him doing, "_And you need a shower_."

"Yes."

"_Need I remind you that every room in the Inn has a bathroom..._with_ a shower_?"

Lorelai rolled her eyes, "I know this, but the Inn is booked and I doubt any of the guests would let me come in to shower." She was quiet for a moment before grinning, and Luke could hear it in her voice, "How pretty am I?"

"_Lorelai_," he growled, "_Its ten o'clock_."

"You know," she added, ignoring him, "Rory and I also haven't eaten tonight, and there's no food here." In the past few days, she'd discovered that Luke could cook _really_ well, and always had food in his apartment.

"_I repeat: its ten o'clock_!"

"Lu-u-uke, please!"

He was quiet, and in her mind she could see his jaw clenching as he realized it was futile to argue, "_Fine_," he mumbled. "_But make it quick. I have the six-thirty shift tomorrow_." But Lorelai had already hung up and was gathering half-awake Rory into her arms.

--

"Ah, no way!" Lorelai yelled next to Luke on the couch, mockingly. "Can you believe those Red Sox?! What the hell is wrong with them?!" She glanced at Luke and grinned, "They're socks are _totally_ white. What colour are the White Sox's socks? Purple?" Luke, ever the baseball aficianado, had become accustom to Lorelai's impatience with sports, but she watched the games with him anyway. Luke rolled his eyes at her.

"'Ama," Rory gurgled from the floor. She had grabbed hold of the leg of the kitchen table and pulled herself into a standing position, as she'd done many times before. Only this time, her eyes were fasted on her mother as she let go of the table and took a step toward the couch. After this, she took another unsteady step, then another, and another. She was almost to the couch when she looked up and stumbled backwards onto the carpet with a "hmph" and a giggle.

Lorelai's eyes shot to Luke, who was looking at her with the same surprised expression. "She--"

"Did she?"

"I--" Lorelai looked at her daughter and put out her arms, "Come here, Rory. Come on, babe." Rory struggled to stand again and took the final two steps to her mother and was immediately scooped up. Luke slid closer and put a hand on the baby's head.

"Were those her first steps?"

Lorelai looked up, her eyes filled with tears, "Her first successful steps." She looked back down and repeated, "Her first successful steps. Good job, baby-Jane." Rory giggled and then yawned widely, snuggling into her mother's arms and dozing off. When she was completely out, Lorelai let her head rest against Luke's shoulder, "She's progressing. Soon, she'll be walking and talking and..." She sniffled and a tear made its way down her cheek.

"Hey," Luke said gently, trying not to focus too long on the fact that she was leaning that way against him. "What's wrong?"

She fixed her eyes on the baby, "What if she hates me?"

His eyes widened, "What're you talking about?"

"Rory, what if she grows up, and I can't be a good mother to her, and she hates me?"

Luke instinctively put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed comfortingly, "She won't hate you. She couldn't."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because...who could?"

She smiled and craned her neck to look up at him, "You're sweet. I'm still not sure though." She was quiet for a brief second, then shook her head, "Okay, change the subject. Tell me about your day."

"Ah," he looked away and sighed. "Well, um...Anna came by the store today and..."

Lorelai stared at him expectingly. When he didn't say anything, she rolled her eyes, "And what, Monsieur Cliffhanger?"

He let out a deep breath, "She wants to move in."

She drew back slightly, "With who?"

"With me."

"W-wow," Lorelai stuttered, "How did all _that_ go down?"

He shrugged, pulling his arm back from behind her. "She, uh...she came in to the store and asked me to take a break, so I did. We went and got lunch and she told me that she was tired of waiting for me to take the initiative, and something about how we'd been together for so long without any sort of commitment and... She said she suggested she move in with me. Actually, it wasn't so much a suggestion as an ultimatum."

"What kind of ultimatum?" Lorelai asked, still processing.

"Let her move in, or lose her."

"Oh, Luke," she put her hand on his shoulder, "I can't believe she'd--okay, well, yes, yes I can, but still. That sucks."

Luke leaned forward and put his hands on either side of his head, adjusting his ball cap, "I'm so frustrated with all this."

"I know," she said gently, "Anna shouldn't have just laid it all down like that."

He chuckled caustically, "I'm not frustrated with Anna. Anna was completely justified; we _have_ been together for a long time, and I _should_ be able to commit. I'm frustrated with me...no, I'm frustrated with you, which made me frustrated with me."

Lorelai wrinkled her forehead at him, "Why are you frustrated with me?"

He looked up at her, "Because of that thing you said a few weeks back, about me not really being in love with Anna. If you hadn't said it, then I wouldn't have been thinking about it, and I wouldn't be hesitating so much."

"Well, if you're hesitating," Lorelai pointed out, getting defensive, "Then that means I helped you realize that there was something to hesitate _about_. You never did answer when I asked you if you loved her."

"Because its none of your business."

"I'm your friend, Luke. Certain aspects of your life get to be my business, especially if said aspects could potentially cut in on our movie nights and baseball hammerings!"

"This particular aspect doesn't get to be your business, because its my _business_, my _decision_, my _life_," Luke snapped, standing to tower over her.

"So what about me?!" Lorelai demanded, sliding Rory onto the couch and standing to match Luke's stature, "Luke, am I in your life?"

"Yes, but--"

"Am I your friend?"

"Yes, but--"

"So I have the right to voice my concern when I don't think you're really in love with the woman you're considering living with!"

Luke's eyes narrowed, "And what exactly are your concerns, Lorelai? Huh? What could you possibly be _so_ worried about?!"

"I don't think you love her!" Lorelai shouted, causing Rory to jerk out of her short-lived sleep and start crying loudly. Lorelai's angry concentration broke as she picked up her daughter, cradling her close and shushing her. When she looked back at Luke, he ws breathing deeply, obviously trying to get his anger in check. "Um," she said quietly, "I should probably get her home. Thanks for...letting me use your shower and all that." She opened the door and left, and Luke was left behind, still fuming, still thinking.

--

It was midnight, and Lorelai was lying awake in bed. Rory had fallen asleep on the way home and was still out. It had begun raining, a heavy beginning-of-Summer rain that pattered against the roof like reindeer hooves. She couldn't get to sleep. She couldn't stand feeling as though Luke was so angry with her. She rolled and let out a sigh, trying her hardest to fall asleep. Then there was a knock at the door.

Lorelai's brow furrowed, "Who could that be?" She mumbled to herself. She went and opened the door with a gasp, "Luke!"

H stood there, tall and calm, as always. He was standing in the raining, completely soaked through, and looked very tired. He looked her in the eye and sighed, "You're right. I don't love her."

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_Cheese-puffs, anyone? Or a towel? Some clean socks? R&R!_


	6. Break Up & Break Out the Doughnuts

_Okay, so a reviewer pointed out that I don't reply to my reviews. Its true; I very rarely reply. Sorry! It doesn't mean that I don't appreciate and love all of your reviews--I do; I want to make sweet and passionate _love_ to those reviews--its just that I don't reply a lot. But no matter what, I appreciate every last review. EVERY SINGLE ONE! Without them, I would be writing to Invisible Bob and Nonexistant Susie-Jane._

**Disclaimer: **_**Eeny, meeny, miney, moe...I don't own "Gilmore Girls." ...Yes, I have run out of creative disclaimers.**_

-- -- --

_It was midnight, and Lorelai was lying awake in bed. Rory had fallen asleep on the way home and was still out. It had begun raining, a heavy beginning-of-Summer rain that pattered against the roof like reindeer hooves. She couldn't get to sleep. She couldn't stand feeling as though Luke was so angry with her. She rolled and let out a sigh, trying her hardest to fall asleep. Then there was a knock at the door._

_Lorelai's brow furrowed, "Who could that be?" She mumbled to herself. She went and opened the door with a gasp, "Luke!"_

_He stood there, tall and calm, as always. He was standing in the raining, completely soaked through, and looked very tired. He looked her in the eye and sighed, "You're right. I don't love her."_

--

Lorelai stood in shock for a second before she stepped aside and waved Luke in. Once the door was shut behind him, Lorelai fetched a towel from the closet and draped it over his shoulders and sat him down on the door across the bed, where she took her seat.

There was a long beat of silence before Lorelai finally said in a low voice, "Luke?"

He was towel-drying his hair absently, eyes on the floor, "How do I tell her?"

"Tell her?"

"Tell Anna," he clarified. "How do I tell her that I not only don't want her to move in with me, but I don't love her?"

Lorelai bit her lip, "You _probably_ shouldn't tell her you don't love her."

"But I don't," he insisted, looking up, "I don't love her; how can I pretend everything's normal?"

She shook her head and leaned forward to put a hand on his arm, "Hon, just because you don't love her, that doesn't mean you have to break up with her, or tell her anything like that. People that aren't in love stay together all the time, among other things."

He sighed, "Like what?"

"Oh, I dunno. They date, they live together, they get married, they--" she gestured to Rory, still sleeping in her crib, "Have a kid."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh.'"

"So you didn't--"

She shook her head, "No. I wanted to, but no." She looked into his eyes and took a very serious tone, "You don't have to leave Anna."

"She doesn't like you," Luke mumbled unexpectedly.

"Anna doesn't?"

"Yes, Anna. She doesn't like you, she doesn't like Rory, she doesn't like the fact that Dad and I have so much to _do_ with you and Rory. She hasn't said anything about it, but every time I mention one of you, she gets all distant and changes the subject." He shook his head, "Why?"

"'Cuz I'm pretty," Lorelai smiled, trying to make light.

Luke grinned weakly, "I always make excuses to not be with Anna. I tell her I have to work, have to help my dad with something, have to watch Rory." He sighed again, "I stopped wanting to be with her a long time ago."

"So why'd you stay?" Lorelai asked gently.

He met her gaze evenly and confessed, in a way that made it clear he was uncomfortable being so vulnerable, "I didn't want to be alone."

--

Luke had left shortly after his confession the night before, and Lorelai hadn't slept at all. When she dragged herself into the Inn the next morning, Rory slung over her shoulder, she almost had a head-on collision with Mia.

"Gah!" Lorelai jumped back and shook her head, "I'm sorry, Mia; I didn't see you."

Mia raised her eyebrows, "You were looking right at me."

"Oh, right, sorry."

"Are you feeling all right, dear?"

"Yeah," with her free hand, Lorelai scratched her eyebrow and shook her head again, "Just, you know, not a lot of sleep last night."

Mia smiled and tickled Rory's toes, still speaking to Lorelai, "You've worked every day since you got into town. Why don't you take today off? Catch up on some sleep, or spend the day with Rory, explore the town."

"Oh, Mia, no; you don't have to--"

"I insist," she said with a hint of finality in her voice. Lorelai smiled gratefully and went to change out of her maid uniform, then made her way to William's Hardware. Ethan Pearl, a twenty-something man that worked for William, was behind the register and smiled kindly when she entered.

"Lorelai," he nodded to her.

"Hi, Ethan," she greeted. "William here?"

"Yeah, he's in the back. Want me to get him?"

"No, no, we need practice!" At his confused look, Lorelai looked down at Rory, whose eyes were wide, and said, "Where's Grandpa William?"

Rory let out a tiny gasp and threw her hands up excitedly, "Paba! Paba ghee!" This had become Rory's way of calling William, and Lorelai had a feeling that it would progress to "Pop" or "Papa" before long. At the squeal, William rounded the corner and smiled widely, rushing forward to hug the baby.

"Hello, gorgeous."

"Paba!" Rory laughed happily, grabbing William's left ear in one hand, and a fistful of shirt in the other.

William chuckled, then glanced at Lorelai, "Did you get the day off?" Lorelai nodded. "But Mia's still going to let you have Friday off, right?"

Lorelai nodded again, but said, "But listen, William, you really don't have to--"

"We've been over this, Lorelai," he said sternly, "You're turning eighteen. You _have_ to have a party."

She put her hands up in mock-surrender, "If you insist. But it won't be much of a party, considering I don't know anyone here."

William shrugged, "Sometimes its funner with fewer people. You, me, Rory, Lucas, Mia, Sookie, David, and your parents."

"Hah!" Lorelai laughed out of surprise, "Delusional."

"Lorelai," he said seriously, "Your parents haven't seen you or Rory in a month. They deserve to know you're all right."

"I called them two weeks ago; they know I'm all right."

"Lorelai."

"They'll ruin my birthday!"

"Lorelai."

"Fine," she sighed. "I'll invite them, but if they so much as look at me funny, they're never invited back. Reasonable?"

"Somewhat."

She nodded, "Good." After a moment, she asked, "So, hey, do you think I should invite Anna?"

William gave her a crooked stare, "You probably _shouldn't_."

She frowned, "Why is that?"

"Well, she and Lucas broke up this morning."

Lorelai's eyes went wide and she opened her mouth several times to speak before asking, "Is he at home? I should go talk to him. Can you watch Rory?" Without waiting for an answer, she was out the door.

--

Luke heard a knock at the door and sighed, standing and opening it slowly. When he found Lorelai on the other side, he inwardly groaned and went back to the couch, leaving the door open for her to enter.

She did, perching on the arm of the chair by the couch. She studied him for a moment; he was in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, sans baseball cap and flannel, and watching a baseball game, a beer bottle in hand. Finally, she sighed and started, "Luke, I'm so--"

"Don't wanna talk about it," he said shortly, gruffly.

She nodded slowly, "O-_kay_... But I just think you shou--"

"Lorelai!" He snapped, only looking at her from the corners of his eyes, "Try bein' quiet for a day; might do you some good."

"Just tell me what happened," she said quickly, determined to finish at least one sentence. "I mean, last night--"

"_Really_ don't wanna talk about last night."

"But if you broke up because of something I said--" He cleared his throat in a way that sounded like a deep, threatening growl, and Lorelai stopped mid-sentence. "What's wrong with you?"

His eyes narrowed at the television set, still determined to not look at Lorelai, "I hurt a woman that's been in my life for years; should I be doing the electric slide or something?" He sighed and then mumbled, "Maybe you should leave."

"Town?"

"My apartment," he rolled his eyes. "I don't want you here right now." Lorelai gaped at him with wide and worried eyes before she stood and went to the door. He was furious. He was alone, and it was potentially all her fault. She could have said nothing; she could have kept her mouth shut. Now he was hurt, and cold.

And they were right back where they'd started.

--

William was watching Rory overnight, and Lorelai was back in the potting shade, trying to take her mind off of how angry Luke was with her. Finally deciding to be a masochist, and trade in one pain for another, she picked up her phone and dialed her old phone number.

"_Gilmore residence_," a servant answered.

"Um, yes, may I speak to Richard Gilmore, please?" Lorelai asked shakily, deciding it was easier to deal with her father than her mother.

"_One moment_." There was a click and some silence before a second click and a deep voice, "_This is Richard Gilmore_."

"D-Dad," she said nervously, "Hi."

"_Lorelai_!" He sounded surprised, a little relieved, and outraged, "_Do you have any idea what you've put us through_? _Running away, calling once in a month_?_ Come home right now_!"

She shook her head and said in a quiet voice, "No, Dad. I can't do that."

"_And _why_ not_? _Are you being held hostage_?" He meant it as a sarcastic remark, but he actually sounded concerned that it might be the case.

"No," she sighed, "I just--I need to be on my own. I need to have my own life, for me and for Rory. I need my own friends, my own support group; I need to make my own living. Even if you can't accept anything else, can't you, of all people, at least appreciate that?" Playing off of the Richard-Gilmore-philosophy that one should not accept handouts was always a safe bet.

"_Yes_," he said, softening ever-so-slightly. "_But you can't completely shut us out of your life_."

"I know that, Dad. I really do. But if I'm going to let you guys in, I need to know that you're not going to interfere with what I'm doing here, okay?" She took a deep breath, then pressed on, "I want you and Mom to come to my town this Friday. Some of my friends are doing a birthday thing for me, and I'd really like you to be there, but if you come, there are certain things you have to do for me."

He was quiet for a moment, thinking, and finally replied, "_And what would those _things _be_?"

"First," she said, ticking them off as she went, "You can't try to make me come home. I'll be eighteen, and I won't go back to Hartford. Second, I don't want to hear anything about my new life, or my old life. This means no criticizing where I live, or my job, or my friends, or how I'm raising my kid. And no mentioning Christopher; stress that one to Mom, because you know how she is." She rolled her eyes as she said this. "Third, you can't give me any big gifts. No car, no money, nothing fancy. I don't want that pampered life anymore. Fourth and finally," she stressed this one, "No snide remarks, from either of you. No hinting, no clear disdain, no being snobs to anyone around here."

Richard made a clicking sound with his tongue as he thought, "_All right, fine_."

She smiled slightly, "Good, thank you, Dad. So, could you fill Mom in on all the conditions and give me a call back? If she agrees to play nice, I'll give you directions to the town, and the party, and see you there."

"Of course." Lorelai gave her the number and he read it back twice to be sure, then said, "_I'll call you back. And Lorelai_?"

"Yeah?"

"_Thank you for calling_."

"Sure, Dad."

--

After getting confirmation that her mother would be on her _best_ behaviour, Lorelai went to inform Mia of the two other guests. After this, Mia smiled and gave Lorelai her very first paycheck; a simple slip of paper with a $275 dollar amount filled in. Lorelai smiled, hugged her and thanked her, before going to Sookie's.

"Hello, Karen," Lorelai said when Sookie's mother opened the door. She was a frail, sickly woman, but surprisingly energetic and funny, like Sookie.

"'Ello, gove'na'," Karen said in a bad British-accent. "What about brings you 'round these parts?"

Sookie appeared behind her mother and gestured Lorelai in with an apology, "Sorry, we just finished watching 'The Young Ones,' and she's stuck."

Lorelai gasped, "Rik Mayall? Without me? Oh, my god, did you ever see 'Couples and Robbers?'" The both shook their heads and Lorelai shrugged, "Well, what can ya' do?" She smiled widely, "So, Karen, can Sookie come out and play?"

Karen grinned, "Sure, just have her home by ten. School night."

"Okay. Sookie, change your clothes! I'm takin' you to dinner!" When Sookie ran off to get her coat, Lorelai thanked Karen and added, "So, did Sookie tell you about my birthday on Friday?"

"Yes, yes, she did. She's very excited that you asked her to do her cake."

"I'm very happy that she's _doing_ my cake," Lorelai added. "Karen, I'd love it if you came."

She chuckled, "You don't have to invite me, Lorelai."

"Hey, its the least I can do. Consider it payment for letting me be a bad influence on Sookie," she joked. "Please, come."

Karen shrugged, "All right. I'll be there."

"Be where?" Sookie asked, rounding the corner, pulling her shoes on clumsily. She fumbled with her left boot and lost her balance, toppling into the wall and then to the ground. Lorelai and Karen both rushed forward to help her up. "I'm fine, I'm _fine_," she insisted, "Just lost my balance!"

Ten minutes later, Lorelai had cashed her paycheck and put most of it into a new account, keeping thirty dollars to go out. She and Sookie went to Weston's Bakery and picked up a dozen doughnuts and some coffee and then went to the potting shed to talk about nothing. It was the first time in a long time that Lorelai felt like a normal teenage girl, just gossiping with a girlfriend over fatty snacks and bad radio music.

"So," Sookie said after an hour, picking apart a glazed doughnut, "Did you hear about Luke and Anna?"

Lorelai looked down at her bedspread, "Yeah. Broke up."

"_Total_ screaming match," Sookie elaborated. "Right in front of his dad's store and everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He didn't tell you?"

Lorelai shrugged pathetically, "He wasn't really...up to talking when I saw him."

"I'll bet," Sookie said with a rueful chuckle. "God, it was horrible. I caught it on my way to school. Luke was saying something to her, shaking his head and all. Then she got kind of aggrivated and loud and said," she made her voice high pitched, "'_Luke, we talking about this, remember_?' And he said," she made her voice low and grumbly, "'_No, you talked. I didn't agree to anything_!' And her face turned kinda purple and she said, '_Two years_! _We've been together for two years, and you can't commit to me. Why_?!' And then she asked him if he even loved her, and he got this look on his face. This real...panicked, hesitative look, and he looked at the ground and said something that I couldn't hear, and then she said..." Sookie's voice trailed off and she looked up at Lorelai quickly, pressing her lips together tightly.

Lorelai took a sip of coffee, eyes on Sookie, "What? What'd she say?"

Sookie chewed on her bottom lip, "Um...she said, '_its because of_ her, _isn't it_?'"

Trying to stay cool and unmoved, Lorelai asked casually, "And what did Luke say?"

"Nothing!" Sookie said, getting caught up in the excitement of the memory, "He just stood there, staring at her. Didn't confirm it, didn't deny it, didn't do anything! Then she told him it was over and stormed off, and he stood there for a really long time." Seeing the look on her friend's face, her eyebrow went up, "Hey, are you and Luke...ya know?"

Lorelai's eyes went wide and she spit out the gulp of coffee in her mouth. She coughed gracelessly as Sookie sponged up the spilled liquid with the sleeve of her shirt. Finally, Lorelai got control over herself and said, "God, Sookie, _no_. Luke is just a really good friend, and William's son."

"Are you and William--"

"EW!" Lorelai threw the rest of her half-eaten doughnut at the other teenager, "God, you have _issues_."

Sookie laughed and then looked up at the wall clock, "Ah, crap. I gotta get home, but I'll see you on Friday!"

"That you will."

"With a yummy, yummy cake."

"I'm salivating already."

At the door, Sookie added, "You _sure _you and Luke aren't gettin' busy--"

Lorelai put her hands up, "I think I'd know, hon." Sookie nodded and left, leaving Lorelai to finish the doughnuts and coffee before she settled in for sleep.

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_Next chapter is the birthday chapter! Will Luke and Lorelai reconcile? Will Richard and Emily be on their best behaviour? Will George W. Bush EVER shut up? Tune in, and find out! ...Althought, don't count on the GWB thing._

_READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE! For, without said reviews, I would have no reason to continue writing!_


	7. Birthday Girls Gone Wild!

_I apologize ahead of time to any Bryan Adams fans! BWAHAHA!_

**Disclaimer: **_**Pie! And also, I don't own "Gilmore Girls."**_

-- -- --

"_Jokin' 'bout your mama_

_Went a little too far_

_But you caught me_

_Out with the others_

_'Til the early dawn_"

Lorelai rolled over in her bed Friday morning and grumbled, "You're not funny."

Mia and Sookie stood over her, both laughing hartily, holding on to each other to stay standing. When they finally regained their bearings, Sookie shut off the stereo and smiled, "Mornin'! How's it feel to be legal?"

Lorelai sighed, eyes still closed, "Depends on what time it is."

"Six."

"No." There was a knock on the door and Mia opened it, gesturing David in. He moved forward and put a tray next to Lorelai on the bed. The smell alone caused her to moan happily and open her eyes.

"Food?" She looked at the try and popped into a sitting position, "Food!" Mia pulled the now-awake Rory out of her crib and put her in her mother's arms, making her smile even wider, "And baby! Food and baby and birthday and," her eyes began to fill with tears, "Its already the best birthday ever."

"'Ama?" Rory asked curiously.

Lorelai shook her head and kissed the baby's nose, "Mama's happy, babe." She looked up at the three friends and smiled, "Happy, happy, happy."

Mia smiled widely, "Wait until the actual party, my dear."

The teenager ate a bit of waffle, giving some to Rory, and nodded, "Can't wait. Oh, David, this is delicious."

He nodded in reply, "Thank you, Lorelai."

Sookie clapped her hands together, "Okay, I have school, and then I'm putting the finishing touches on that cake. So Mom and I will just see you tonight, okay? Oh, and sorry again that I can't stay over afterward; Mom hasn't been feeling well, and I should stay home with her, just in case she develops the flu or something."

Lorelai put up her hand, "Its fine, Sook."

"Okay, well, I'm off!" A quick flash of red hair and she was gone.

"I have the breakfast rush," David added apologetically, and then he was gone.

Then there was just Mia, and she smiled down at Lorelai, "Are you ready for your first present?"

"What?" Lorelai said, surprised, "Mia, you didn't have to get me anything, let alone more than _one_ thing." Wordlessly, Mia handed her a small box, which Lorelai took and opened slowly. Inside was a key with on a #8 Independence Inn keychain. Knowing full well the answer, but still confused, Lorelai asked, "What is this?"

Mia grinned and sat on the corner of the bed, "That is your room for tonight. After the party, room-8 is yours until tomorrow afternoon." She stood and walked out the door, leaving Lorelai to finish her breakfast.

--

After spending her entire day with Rory, just lounging around and listening to music, it was finally five-thirty and Lorelai was getting ready for her party... in theory. She was standing at her closet, looking over all of her clothes, and finding none of them worthy. How could she not have thought of this before? Her party was going to be small and modest, but she didn't want to just show up in jeans. She wanted to wear a nice, understated Summer dress. Finally, she found one. It was crammed in the back of the closet, and just touching it gave her chills. It was the dress she'd been wearing the night Christopher got her pregnant. A spaghetti-strapped, low-cut, teal-and-salmon-paisley dress that laced up the back and fell just below her knees. Deciding to push the memory aside, she ironed and donned the dress, adding a pair of white sandals and letting her hair down to fall in perfect curls around her shoulders. She put Rory in a butter-yellow dress that her parents had given her for her first birthday and went to meet Mia and David at the reception desk.

Mia looked impressed when she saw her, "My _dear_, you do look lovely."

Lorelai smiled and twirled in a circle, "Why, thank you, darling. So do you... Where's David?"

"He's setting up the food."

"Oh, I forgot about that," she frowned. She had intended to ask Luke to cook some of the food, but with the break-up incident, she'd just asked David to make it all. In fact, she hadn't talked to Luke, or even seen him, since that day at his apartment. With a small shrug, Lorelai, Mia, Rory started their walk to the hardware store, which William had closed for the evening.

They were the last to arrive. Sookie and David were at the counter, arguing about the layout of the food, as William and Karen made light conversation about some of the town goings-on. Luke was sitting in the corner, staring at a glass of water in his hands, and it was painfully obvious to Lorelai that he didn't want to be there. Finally, standing stiffly by the door, were Richard and Emily Gilmore.

"Dad," Lorelai said nervously, moving toward them, "Mom."

"Lorelai," they answered in unison. Then Richard said, "Thank you for inviting us. It means a lot to us."

"Of course."

Then Emily chirped, "Its a very modest town, isn't it?" Richard shot her a warning look and she shrugged.

"Yes, Mom, it is," Lorelai said sharply. Deciding to change the subject, she asked, "Would you like to hold Rory?"

"Yes," Emily said quickly, accepting the baby and holding her close, but somewhat akwardly, "Hello, Rory. Do you remember me? I'm your grandmother."

Lorelai grinned slightly and began greeting everyone else until the only person left was Luke. She walked over to him slowly and lowered herself into the chair next to him. "Um, hey."

"Hey," he said, not looking at her, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She waited for him to say something more, but he didn't. She sighed in annoyance and stood, going to stand in the small crowd as they talked and laughed and ate the delicious food David had prepared. Even Richard and Emily joined in on conversation, though they kept their sentences short and absent, but still pleasant.

At eight o'clock, Sookie and William turned out all the lights and carried out the cake. It was a two tier chocolate cake with a cookies-and-créme mousse frosting and two single candles, one a 1, and one an 8. Lorelai was overwhelmed to the point of tears as they sang "Happy Birthday" and she blew out her candles. The lights went back on, they ate, and people began drifting. Karen returned home, not feeling well, soon followed by David, who had to get up early for the birthday rush. Soon, too, Mia was gone, reminding Lorelai to stay in the Inn room and taking Rory with her, insisting on babysitting for the night.

"Lorelai," Emily called to her daughter, around nine-thirty. "We have an early day tomorrow, and we've already stayed longer than we intended."

"Oh," Lorelai was shocked at the feeling of disappointment in her stomach, no matter how small it was. "Well, thank you for coming. Really. It meant a lot."

"Thank you for inviting us," Richard said sincerely. "Please don't wait so long before contacting us next time."

"I won't."

Emily puckered her lips, the way she did, and said reluctantly, "These people seem to genuinely care for you, Lorelai. I'll never approve of this life you've chosen, and I won't deny that I hope you'll return to your senses and come home, but if you had to have a different life..." She looked around the room, "I suppose this is better than others."

Lorelai's chin quivered; this was like high-praise from Emily Gilmore. She nodded and whispered, "Thank you, Mom." They said their goodbyes and left, soon followed by Sookie, going to check on her mother. Then it was just Lorelai, William, and Luke, who hadn't moved from his chair all night. As William began transporting trash out to the garbage bin, Lorelai perched next to Luke again and attempted conversation... again.

"Good shindig, huh?"

"Sure."

She bit the inside of her cheek, "The food was great; David sure can cook."

Luke shrugged, "Probably for the best; he _is_ a chef."

Lorelai forced a laugh, "Heh, yeah. And Sookie's cake! How amazing was that?"

"Wouldn't know. Didn't have any."

She gritted her teeth together and said sarcastically, "You know, its nice to have reticent-guy back. Life was getting a little dull without those charming short phrases and that sour demeanor."

He looked up and met her gaze evenly, "Don't have much to say."

"Why?" She asked, pleadingly.

"I just don't."

"God," she sighed, staring at the floor, "I thought my parents being here would be the worst thing I'd have to endure tonight." She snapped her eyes back to him and spoke in a hard voice, determined to make her point clear, "Look, Luke, I know that this break-up sucks for you. I know that Anna's hurt, and I know that you're hurt, and I know that, on some level, you probably see all of this as my fault, and I'm sorry. But you can't do this. You can't--" her voice wavered, "You can't treat me this way; its doubletalk. You snapped at me because you'd hurt Anna, but now you're hurting me. I don't deserve that." She gathered her gifts, all still wrapped in lovely, eccentric paper, and walked back to the Inn, looking forward to a long, hot bath in her fancy room.

--

At eleven, Lorelai was laying in the huge, plush bed of room #8, still in her dress, never making it _past _the bed. She was watching "Walk on the Wild Side," one of her favourite old movies, when she heard a knock on the door. She figured it was Mia, or a maid, and went to answer the door.

It wasn't Mia.

Wasn't a maid, either.

When she opened the door, she found a tired-looking Luke Danes starting back at her. He looked her in the eye and spoke nervously, "Uh, hi."

"Hi," she answered slowly.

"Mia... told me where you were."

"Well, she _is_ my parole officer."

"What?"

"What are you doing here, Luke?" She asked, tired of this runaround.

He shifted uncomfortably, "I'm _so_ sorry."

"For what?" She asked bitterly, fishing.

He sighed, "_Everything_? I mean, I didn't mean to be such a--what did you call me?--a _prick_. Its just, I was so mixed up about breaking up with Anna, and some of the stuff she'd said, and I just..." His voice trailed off, and then he was just staring at her.

"You just...what?" Lorelai asked, softened.

Still, he said nothing, and she feared they were back to the not-talking thing. Then he stepped forward and put his arms around her waist, pulling her to him firmly before he pressed his lips against hers. She melted into it immediately, grabbing his forearms and pulling herself closer to him, molding against him and kissing him back with an equal passion. She ran her tongue over his bottom lip and felt him exhale into her mouth as their tongues met, the contact causing them both to shiver. Slowly, reluctantly, but needing to breathe, they pulled apart.

"You just what?" Lorelai repeated breathlessly.

"Felt guilty," he whispered, breath warm against her lips.

"About..." she led.

He sighed, "About Anna. About the fact that it all went South because...I want to be with you."

She let her forehead rest against his and frowned, "What makes you think I'm worth that? You've only known me for a month."

"You're worth it," he insisted. "You're definitely worth it." At that, he leaned in and caught her lips again, pressing short, soft kisses against them before a long, rough one.

When they broke apart again, Lorelai smiled, panting slightly, "I'm glad. So..." she drawled, "Does this mean we're an _item_?"

He brought one hand up and ran it through her hair, "If you want to be."

"Please. After that shining display of Laurence Harvey to my Capucine? Of course I do."

He let out a sigh of relief and kissed her, "Good, because I want to take you out."

She grinned and kissed him back, "Mm, I want you to take me out."

"We're in perfect sync, then." He kissed her again, a long, drawn out kiss that deepened immediately, but was less rushed and desperate. Instead, it was sweet and passionate, saying all the things they couldn't to one another. All the things that had been building up since he helped her move the baby furniture in a week before. Luke ran his hands up and down her sides, over the soft material of her dress, and he mumbled against her lips, "I love this dress."

She smiled through the next kiss, thinking the same thing. She loved this dress, and the new memory that replaced the one before. This was no longer her Christopher-dress, but her Luke-dress.

-- -- --

**A/N:**

_"Smile, there's no regret, layers wash through our hands and then you never see tomorrow comin'; you only feel the wake of it..."_

_Sorry, I'm a major Grant-Lee Phillips fanatic. And, strangely enough, I liked him BEFORE I ever saw "Gilmore Girls." Though not quite as much as I do now._

_READ AND REVIEW, PUH-LEEZ!_


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